The present invention relates generally to a storage bin and relates specifically to a stacking and nesting storage bin.
Stacking and nesting storage bins of various types have been used commercially and domestically for storing and displaying a wide range of items. The stacking feature of the bins maximizes the use of available space for holding merchandise for commercial use and for holding household items for domestic use. The nesting feature of the bins greatly reduces the shipping bulk to stores where they are sold to customers or used commercially by the store. This nesting feature also provides a substantial saving in warehouse storage space and floor space in stores where the bins are displayed and sold.
When stacking and nesting bins are employed in a stacking mode, the bins are stacked vertically one on top of the other for stability. Generally, the upper and lower edges of the bins are provided with interlocking elements for maintaining the bins in a stable condition when stacked. If the bin has four vertical sides only the items in the uppermost bin are accessible. This is acceptable if the bins are used to store like items. When all of the items in the uppermost bin are removed the uppermost bin is removed from the stack to expose the top of the next uppermost bin and to make the items in the next uppermost bin readily accessible. When the stack of bins is utilized to store a variety of different items, a three sided bin is used which provides a side opening to each bin in the stack so that the items in each bin of the stack can be reached for removal. However, this is not an ideal way to display items. Customers are conditioned to seeing items on open shelves or open top containers. Product visibility is a very important factor in retail marketing. Many items are purchased on impulse. In order for this to occur, the item must be prominently displayed or at least clearly visible and readily accessible. This is not the case with prior art storage bins.
As a rule, stacking and nesting storage bins have not been used as trash receptacles. The typical trash receptacle is a single, large, open top container which can be readily filled and emptied of trash. When items are thrown away they are literally thrown into a trash receptacle. The typical trash receptacle tapers inwardly from top to bottom which enables a plurality of receptacles to be nested. This tapering also enables a plastic liner to be used with the receptacle. When the receptacle is filled with trash, the plastic liner is removed along with the trash. The tapered shape of the receptacle enables the trash-filled liner to be removed easily. As the problems of dealing with society's waste becomes more acute, more and more waste products are being recycled. The need to divide trash into specific categories is becoming increasingly more essential. In order to deal with this problem, several trash receptacles must be used, one for each category of trash. This means that more floor space must be used for the accumulation of trash. This is true for domestic as well as commercial handling of trash. For example, in redemption centers for cans and bottles, each brand of bottle or can requires its own receptacle so that dozens of containers or receptacles are required. Three-sided stackable containers can be used for sorting trash, but they are awkward to use particularly in a commercial setting where time adds considerably to the cost of doing business. Also, it is extremely difficult to use liners with this type of bin or receptacle. It is very difficult to remove the trash-filled liner from the open side of the bin. In addition, most bins of this type are provided with a lip or short wall at the side opening to prevent items from spilling out of the bin which makes it extremely difficult if not impossible to remove a trash-filled liner from the bin without disturbing the entire stack of bins.
Still other prior art bins or containers have separating means for dividing the container into a plurality of compartments. This either limits the capacity of each compartment or results in a container which is large and awkward to handle and requires as much floor space as the use of a plurality of individual containers. These and other difficulties experienced with the prior art storage bins have been obviated by the present invention.
It is, therefore, a principal object of the invention to provide an open top storage bin in which the open top of each bin in the stack is exposed and readily accessible for putting items into the bin and taking items out of the bin.
Another object of this invention is the provision of an open top stacking storage bin in which the open top of each bin in the stack is exposed and in which the bins are capable of nesting.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of a open top stacking storage bin in which the open top of each bin in the stack is exposed and a plurality of bins can be nested without jamming.
It is another object of the instant invention to provide an open top stacking storage bin which can be supported and stacked so that the open top of each bin faces forwardly and upwardly to provide maximum accessibility to the interior area of each bin.
A still further object of the invention is the provision of an open top stacking storage bin in which a plurality of bins can be supported and stacked so that the top opening of each bin faces forwardly and upwardly and in which each bin is provided with a pivoted cover which can be moved to an the open position in which the cover is substantially horizontal and below the top opening of the bin to act as a guide for items being deposited in the bin and to prevent spillover of items inside the bin.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an open top nesting storage bin which can be stacked with identical bins when stacked to provide a plurality of readily accessible trash containers for enabling trash to be sorted into several categories wherein each bin is capable of being lined with a plastic bag prior to being filled and which allows the bag to be readily removed from the bin after the bag has been filled with trash.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a open top stacking and nesting storage bin which is easy to stack and easy to use for a wide range of purposes such as storing, displaying, or sorting diverse items.
With these and other objects in view, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention resides in the combination of parts set forth in the specification and covered by the claims appended hereto.